Writer’s Cave-Like Retreat Surrounded by Raw Nature in Brazil

With a total surface of only 31 square meters, this solitary writer’s retreat in Itaipava, Petrópolis, Brazil displays a cave-inspired design. According to the creative team at Architectare, the symbolism of the cave is very broad and diverse: “It suggests shelter, self-knowledge, return to basics, reflection, pregnancy, growth, freedom through thought and many other meanings that can be found in ancient people´s mythologies and suggest the use of this building as much as a shelter as an ideas’s instigator.” The newly build writer’s retreat accommodates a bedroom, a bathroom and a small pantry.The dwelling is built in steel frame, clad with stones found on the lot, covered in metal roofing and partially encircled by aluminum and glass frames. Despite its small size, comfort is the defining asset of this retreat: “Once the writer is in it, he is cozy and protected. He has everything he needs, as in a womb. He is secure enough to get in touch with all his most inner thoughts, demons and illusions, so when he gets out of it, he feels fresh and full of new ideas.” Have a look at the photos and tell us what you think! [Photography: Leonardo Finotti]